CT Only: Long Night Clipper

[Spinward Flow]

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Long Night Clipper
Ship Type: AT (Merchant-A, Transport)
TL=10 (hybrid LBB5.80 design fitted with LBB2.81 commercial off the shelf standard drives) (LBB5.80, p18)

Tonnage (custom hull): 310 tons (MCr31) (LBB5.80, p21-22)
Configuration: 1 (Needle/Wedge, streamlined, MCr6.2) (LBB5.80, p21-23)
Armor: 0

Jump-E (code: 3, 30 tons, MCr50, TL=10, Civilian, Capacitor storage: 5 tons = 180 EP maximum)
Maneuver-E (code: 3, 9 tons, MCr20, TL=10)
Power Plant-E (code: 3, 16 tons, MCr40, TL=10, EP: 10, Surplus EP: +2.8 @ Agility 2, Emergency Agility: 3)
Total Drives: 30+9+16 = 55 tons (+8 tons Laser Fighter = 63 tons total)

Fuel: 123 tons = 93+30 tons (LBB2.81, p14-15, 23)

• Jump Fuel = (Tonnage/10) * Parsecs tons
  • 93 tons = 3 parsecs @ 310 tons
• Power Plant and Reactionless Maneuver Fuel = (10Pn * days/28) tons
  • 30 tons = 28 days @ 3G M-Drive reactionless maneuver within 1000 diameters of gravity wells for 330 tons displacement

Fuel Scoops (MCr0.31)
Fuel Purification Plant: 200 ton capacity (8 tons, MCr0.036, TL=10) (LBB5.80, p27, p36)
Collapsible Fuel Tanks: 100 tons capacity (1 ton, MCr0.05) (LBB A5, p13-14)

Bridge (20 tons, MCr1.55)
Computer: 3 (Code: 3, 3 tons, MCr18, EP: 1)
Hardpoints: none
Internal Hangars: 100 tons capacity Ordinary Launch Facilities (100 tons, MCr0.2) (LBB5.80, p32)

1. Cargo Box (10 tons, MCr0.576)
2. Cargo Box (10 tons, MCr0.576)
3. Cargo Box (10 tons, MCr0.576)
4. Cargo Box (10 tons, MCr0.576)

1. Stateroom Module (20 tons, MCr5.328)
2. Stateroom Module (20 tons, MCr5.328)

1. Laboratory Module: regenerative life support biome (10 tons, MCr2.176)
   • Environmental Control Type V-c capacity: up to 5 persons (hydroponic garden, aquaculture and carniculture)
2. Laboratory Module: regenerative life support biome (10 tons, MCr2.176)
   • Environmental Control Type V-c capacity: up to 5 persons (hydroponic garden, aquaculture and carniculture)

External Docking: 690 tons capacity Ordinary Launch Facilities (0 tons, MCr1.38, Long Night Clipper becomes unstreamlined while in use) (LBB5.80, p32) (LBB A5, p14)

1. Laser Fighter (20 tons, MCr43.168)

Crew positions minimum skills required: 6 crew, quarters in Stateroom Modules (Cr30,950 per 4 weeks crew salaries)

1. Pilot-1 = Cr6000
2. Ship’s Boat-1 = Cr6000
3. Navigator-1 = Cr5000
4. Engineering-2/Engineering-2 = ((4000*1.1)+(4000*1.1))*0.75 = Cr6600
5. Steward-1/Steward-1 = ((3000*1.1)+(3000*1.1))*0.75 = Cr 4950
6. Medical-3 = (2000*1.2) = Cr2400

Cargo Hold: 0 tons
Waste Space: 0 tons

Total Cost (starship only, not including sub-craft)
MCr168.726 (100% cost single production)
MCr134.9808 (80% cost volume production) (LBB5.80, p20)

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Laser Fighter
Ship Type: FG (Fighter, Gunned)
TL=10 (hybrid LBB5.80 design fitted with LBB2.81 commercial off the shelf standard drives) (LBB5.80, p18)

Tonnage (custom hull): 20 tons (MCr2)
Configuration: 1 (Needle/Wedge, streamlined, integral fuel scoops, MCr0.4) (LBB5.80, p21-23, p34)
Armor: 0

Maneuver-A (code: 6, 1 ton, MCr4, TL=9)
Power Plant-B (code: L, 7 tons, MCr16, TL=9, EP: 4, Surplus EP: +0 @ Agility 5, Emergency Agility: 6)
Total Drives: 1+7 = 8 tons

Fuel: 1 ton (LBB2.81, p17-18) (LBB5.80, p34) (CT Errata, p15)

• Power Plant and Reactionless Maneuver Fuel = (4EP * days/28) tons
  • 1 ton = 7 days @ 6G M-Drive reactionless maneuver within 1000 diameters of gravity wells for 40 tons displacement

Bridge (4 tons, MCr0.1, includes 2 acceleration couches) (LBB5.80, p34)
Computer: 4 (Code: 4, 4 tons, MCr30, EP: 2)
Hardpoints: 1 (LBB5.80, p30)
Weapons: Sandcaster, Pulse Laser, Sandcaster (1 ton, MCr1, EP: 1) (LBB5.80, p34)
Weapon Batteries:

• 2x Sandcaster (code: 3) (LBB5.80, p25, p29)
• 1x Pulse Laser (code: 1) (LBB5.80, p25, p29)

External Docking: 180 tons capacity Ordinary Launch Facilities (0 tons, MCr0.36, Laser Fighter becomes unstreamlined while in use) (LBB5.80, p32) (LBB A5, p14)

Crew positions minimum skills required: 1 crew

1. Ship's Boat-1 or Pilot-2 (LBB5.80, p34-35)

Small craft stateroom: 1 single occupancy (2 tons, MCr0.1)
Cargo Hold: 0 tons
Waste Space: 0 tons

Total Cost (laser fighter only, not including sub-craft)
MCr53.96 (100% cost single production)
MCr43.168 (80% cost volume production) (LBB5.80, p20)

 

[Spinward Flow]

Cargo Box
Ship Type: AU (Merchant-A, Unpowered)
TL=10 (LBB5.80 design)
Tonnage (custom hull): 10 tons
Configuration: 4 (Close Structure, partially-streamlined, integral fuel scoops, MCr0.6) (LBB5.80, p21-23, p34)
Armor (code: 0)
Maneuver-none
Power Plant-none
Fuel: none
Bridge: none
Computer: none
Hardpoints: none
Crew positions minimum skills required: none
External Docking: 60 tons capacity Ordinary Launch Facilities (0 tons, MCr0.12, Cargo Box becomes unstreamlined while in use) (LBB5.80, p32) (LBB A5, p14)
Cargo Hold: 10 tons (multi-purpose conversion ready)
Total Cost: MCr0.72 (100% cost single production), MCr0.576 (80% cost volume production)

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Stateroom Module
Ship Type: AU (Merchant-A, Unpowered)
TL=10 (LBB5.80 design)
Tonnage (custom hull): 20 tons
Configuration: 4 (Close Structure, partially-streamlined, integral fuel scoops, MCr1.2) (LBB5.80, p21-23, p34)
Armor (code: 0)
Maneuver-none
Power Plant-none
Fuel: none
Bridge: none
Computer: none
Hardpoints: none
Crew positions minimum skills required: none
External Docking: 120 tons capacity Ordinary Launch Facilities (0 tons, MCr0.24, Stateroom Module becomes unstreamlined while in use) (LBB5.80, p32) (LBB A5, p14)
Starship staterooms: 5 single occupancy (20 tons, MCr2.5)
Total Cost: MCr3.94 (100% cost single production), MCr3.152 (80% cost volume production)

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Laboratory Module
Ship Type: AU (Merchant-A, Unpowered)
TL=10 (LBB5.80 design)
Tonnage (custom hull): 10 tons
Configuration: 4 (Close Structure, partially-streamlined, integral fuel scoops, MCr0.6) (LBB5.80, p21-23, p34)
Armor (code: 0)
Maneuver-none
Power Plant-none
Fuel: none
Bridge: none
Computer: none
Hardpoints: none
Crew positions minimum skills required: none
External Docking: 60 tons capacity Ordinary Launch Facilities (0 tons, MCr0.12, Laboratory Module becomes unstreamlined while in use) (LBB5.80, p32) (LBB A5, p14)
Laboratory (10 tons, MCr2) (CT Errata, p12, lab space costs MCr0.2 per ton)
Total Cost: MCr2.72 (100% cost single production), MCr2.176 (80% cost volume production)

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Environment Tank
Ship Type: AU (Merchant-A, Unpowered)
TL=10 (LBB5.80 design)
Tonnage (custom hull): 10 tons
Configuration: 4 (Close Structure, partially-streamlined, integral fuel scoops, MCr0.6) (LBB5.80, p21-23, p34)
Armor (code: 0)
Maneuver-none
Power Plant-none
Fuel: none
Bridge: none
Computer: none
Hardpoints: none
Crew positions minimum skills required: none
External Docking: 60 tons capacity Ordinary Launch Facilities (0 tons, MCr0.12, Environment Tank becomes unstreamlined while in use) (LBB5.80, p32) (LBB A5, p14)
Environment Tank: 10 tons capacity (10 tons, MCr1) (CT Errata, p26, environment tanks cost MCr0.1 per ton)
Total Cost: MCr1.72 (100% cost single production), MCr1.376 (80% cost volume production)

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Long Night Clipper  AT-3133331-000000-00000-0    MCr134.9808    310 tons
   batteries bearing                                              TL=10.
           batteries                                             Crew=6.
Passengers=0. Low=0. Hangar=100. Cargo=0. Fuel=123(+100). EP=10. Agility=2.
Jump-3, Maneuver-3, Agility-3 @ up to 333 tons total (+23 tons external)
Jump-2, Maneuver-2, Agility-2 @ up to 666 tons total (+356 tons external)
Jump-1, Maneuver-1, Agility-1 @ up to 1000 tons total (+690 tons external)

Laser Fighter       FG-0106L41-030000-10000-0    MCr43.168       20 tons
   batteries bearing            2     1                   TL=10. Bridge.
           batteries            2     1                     Crew=1 or 2.
Passengers=0 or 1. Staterooms=1. Low=0. Cargo=0. Fuel=1. EP=4. Agility=5.
Maneuver-6, Agility-4 @ up to 25 tons total (+5 tons external)
Maneuver-6, Agility-3 @ up to 33 tons total (+13 tons external)
Maneuver-5, Agility-2 @ up to 40 tons total (+20 tons external)
Maneuver-4, Agility-2 @ up to 50 tons total (+30 tons external)
Maneuver-3. Agility-1 @ up to 66 tons total (+46 tons external)
Maneuver-2, Agility-1 @ up to 100 tons total (+80 tons external)
Maneuver-1, Agility-0 @ up to 200 tons total (+180 tons external)

Cargo Box           AU-0400000-000000-00000-0    MCr0.576        10 tons
Passengers=0. Low=0. Cargo=10. Fuel=0. EP=0. Agility=0. Crew=0. TL=10.

Stateroom Module    AU-0400000-000000-00000-0    MCr3.152        20 tons
Passengers=5. Low=0. Cargo=0. Fuel=0. EP=0. Agility=0. Crew=0. TL=10.

Laboratory Module   AU-0400000-000000-00000-0    MCr2.176        10 tons
Passengers=0. Low=0. Lab=10. Fuel=0. EP=0. Agility=0. Crew=0. TL=10.

Environment Tank    AU-0400000-000000-00000-0    MCr1.376        10 tons
Passengers=0. Low=0. Environment=10. Fuel=0. EP=0. Agility=0. Crew=0. TL=10.

 

[Spinward Flow]

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Long Night Clipper

Single production (100% cost)

• Total Cost (starship + laser fighter + 4x cargo box + 2x passenger module + 2x laboratory module): MCr168.726 + 53.96 + (0.72+0.576*3) + (3.94+3.152) + (2.72+2.176) = Cr237,122,000
• 20% Down Payment: MCr33.7452 + 10.792 + (0.144+0.1152*3) + (0.788+0.6304) + (0.544+0.4352) = Cr47,424,400
• Architect Fees (4 weeks): MCr1.68726 + 0.5396 + (0.0072+0.00576*3) + (0.0394+0.03152) + (0.0272+0.02176) = Cr2,371,220
• Construction Time: 64 weeks (starship), 24 weeks (laser fighter, cargo box, environment tank, stateroom module, laboratory module) (LBB2.81, p22) (LBB A5, p33)
• Annual Overhaul: Cr168,726 + 53,960 + (720+576*3) + (3940+3152) + (2720+2176) = Cr237,122 (LBB2.81, p8)
• Bank Financing Monthly Mortgage Payment (Total Cost / 240 for 480 months) = Cr988,009 (LBB2.81, p23)

Volume production (80% single production cost) (LBB5.80, p20)

• Total Cost (starship + laser fighter + 4x cargo box + 2x passenger module + 2x laboratory module): MCr134.9808 + 43.168 + (0.576*4) + (3.152*2) + (2.176*2) = Cr191,108,800
• 20% Down Payment: MCr27.39616 + 8.6336 + (0.1152*4) + (0.6304*2) + (0.4352*2) = Cr38,621,760
• Construction Time: 51 weeks 2 days (starship), 19 weeks 2 days (laser fighter, cargo box, environment tank, passenger module, laboratory module) (LBB2.81, p22) (LBB A5, p33)
• Annual Overhaul: Cr134,981 + 43,168 + (576*4) + (3152*2) + (2176*2) = Cr191,109 (LBB2.81, p8)
• Bank Financing Monthly Mortgage Payment (Total Cost / 240 for 480 months) = Cr796,287 (LBB2.81, p23)

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Recurring costs:

• Crew Life Support: Cr0 due to regenerative life support Environmental Control Type V-c (up to 16 persons)
• Passenger Life Support (middle/high): Cr0 due to regenerative life support Environmental Control Type V-c (up to 16 persons)
• Passenger Life Support (low): Cr100 per usage of low berth (potentially indefinite duration)
• Crew Salaries: Cr30,950 per 4 weeks (LBB2.81, p11, p16)
• Berthing Fees: Cr100 for 6 days, additional Cr100 per additional day after 6 days (LBB2.81, p8)
• Surface to Orbit Shuttle Costs: Cr10 per cargo ton, Cr20 to 120 per passenger (LBB2.81, p9)
• Fuel: Cr500 per ton (refined), Cr100 per ton (unrefined), Cr0 (skimmed) (LBB2.81, p7)
• Sandcaster reloads: Cr400 per canister (3 canisters per launcher plus 12 canisters reserve per turret) = Cr24,000 for 60 canisters total loaded on starship and laser fighter (LBB2.81, p16-17, p32) (LBB SS3 Revised, p7)

Revenue sources:

• Interplanetary Charters (12+ hours): Cr1 per hour per ton for laser fighter (Cr50 per hour) or starship (Cr400 per hour) rate without external loading (external loads add Cr1 per hour per ton), minimum 12 hours per charter (LBB2.81, p9)
  • Interplanetary Travel (distance, acceleration, time) (link)
• Interstellar Non-charter Passenger Revenue: Cr10,000 per high passenger, Cr8000 per middle passenger, Cr1000 per low passenger, to declared destination(s) per jump (LBB2.81, p9)
• Interstellar Non-charter Cargo Transport: Cr1000 per ton, to declared destination(s) per jump (LBB2.81, p8-9)
• Interstellar Charters (2 weeks): Cr9000 per high passage berth, Cr900 per low passage berth, Cr900 per ton of cargo, to declared destination(s) per jump (LBB2.81, p9)
• Mail Delivery: Cr5,000 revenue per ton upon delivery (Cr25,000 max) (LBB2.81, p9)
• Imperial subsidies reduce gross revenue receipts by 50% for passengers, cargo and mail (LBB2.81, p7)

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Economic break even formula for annualized costs (including life support, berthing fees, crew salaries and annual overhaul costs)

Cost calculation

• CPD = (LS + CS*13 + CC*(CM/40+0.001) + FC*DPY + BFE) / DPY + BFD
  • CPD = Cost Per Destination (in Cr), round up to nearest integer
  • LS = Life Support (in Cr) per 2 weeks/14 days (Cr0 crew plus Cr0 high passengers) over Days Deployed per year (tempo * DPY)
  • CS = Crew Salaries (in Cr) per 4 weeks (Cr30,950)
  • CC = Construction Cost in credits (Cr237,122,000 single production, Cr191,108,800 volume production)
  • CM = Construction Multiplier (x0 Subsidized, x1 Paid Off, x2.4 Bank Loan Financing, over 480 months)
  • FC = Fuel Cost (in Cr) to refuel per Destination (Cr500 per ton refined, Cr100 per ton unrefined, Cr0 per ton wilderness)
  • BFE = Berthing Fees Extra (additional berthing fees for warehousing the ship at idle during extra crew vacation days annually)
  • DPY = Destinations Per Year
  • BFD = Berthing Fees (in Cr) per Destination (Cr100 for 6 days, Cr100 more per +1 days)

Tables of profit points when allowing 14 days for annual overhaul maintenance within each year (365-14=351 days maximum)
Note: 252 / 365 = 69% (~70% minimum required time on route each year for subsidy contracts)

Single Production (break even profit point in credits per port of call) when returning to home port each year for annual overhaul mainteance

DPY (tempo) + vacation days	Subsidized CPD (in Cr)​	Paid Off CPD (in Cr)​	Bank Financed CPD (in Cr)​
24 (6+8 days) = 336 + 15	26,787​	273,789​	619,592​
18 (6+8 days) = 252 + 99	36,149​	365,485​	826,556​
14 (6+8+8 days) = 308 + 43	46,048​	469,481​	1,062,286​
12 (6+8+8 days) = 264 + 87	54,073​	548,077​	1,239,683​

Volume Production (break even profit point in credits per port of call) when returning to home port each year for annual overhaul mainteance

DPY (tempo) + vacation days	Subsidized CPD (in Cr)​	Paid Off CPD (in Cr)​	Bank Financed CPD (in Cr)​
24 (6+8 days) = 336 + 15	24,870​	223,941​	502,642​
18 (6+8 days) = 252 + 99	33,593​	299,022​	670,622​
14 (6+8+8 days) = 308 + 43	42,762​	384,028​	861,800​
12 (6+8+8 days) = 264 + 87	50,239​	448,3827​	1,005,783​

 

[Spinward Flow]

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Long Night Clipper

100% manifest maximum revenues

1 Ticket = (J3/+20 tons external) = 3 parsecs

Revenue	Paid Off or Bank Financed Non-charter (in Cr)​	Paid Off or Bank Financed Charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Non-charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Charter (in Cr)​
High Passengers: 4 x1	40,000​	36,000​	20,000​	18,000​
Owned Cargo: (4*10)=40 tons x1	40,000​	36,000​	20,000​	18,000​
Third Party Cargo: 0 tons x1	0​	0​	0​	0​
Total​	80,000​	72,000​	40,000​	36,000​

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1 Ticket = (J2/+190 tons external) = 2 parsecs

Revenue	Paid Off or Bank Financed Non-charter (in Cr)​	Paid Off or Bank Financed Charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Non-charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Charter (in Cr)​
High Passengers: 4 x1	40,000​	36,000​	20,000​	18,000​
Owned Cargo: 100+(4*10)=140 tons x1	140,000​	126,000​	70,000​	63,000​
Third Party Cargo: 70 tons x1	63,000​	63,000​	31,500​	31,500​
Total​	243,000​	225,000​	121,500​	112,500​

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1 Ticket = (J1/+690 tons external) = 1 parsec

Revenue	Paid Off or Bank Financed Non-charter (in Cr)​	Paid Off or Bank Financed Charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Non-charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Charter (in Cr)​
High Passengers: 4 x1	40,000​	36,000​	20,000​	18,000​
Owned Cargo: 100+(4*10)=140 tons x1	140,000​	126,000​	70,000​	63,000​
Third Party Cargo: 570 tons x1	513,000​	513,000​	256,500​	256,500​
Total​	693,000​	675,000​	346,500​	337,500​

 

[Spinward Flow]

2 Tickets = (J2/+120 tons external+100 tons collapsible fuel) (J3/+20 tons external) = 5 parsecs

Revenue	Paid Off or Bank Financed Non-charter (in Cr)​	Paid Off or Bank Financed Charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Non-charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Charter (in Cr)​
High Passengers: 4 x2	80,000​	72,000​	40,000​	36,000​
Owned Cargo: (4*10)=40 tons x2	80,000​	72,000​	40,000​	36,000​
Third Party Cargo: 0 tons x2	0​	0​	0​	0​
Total​	160,000​	144,000​	80,000​	72,000​

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2 Tickets = (J2/+190 tons external+100 tons collapsible fuel) (J2/+90 tons external) = 4 parsecs

Revenue	Paid Off or Bank Financed Non-charter (in Cr)​	Paid Off or Bank Financed Charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Non-charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Charter (in Cr)​
High Passengers: 4 x2	80,000​	72,000​	40,000​	36,000​
Owned Cargo: (4*10)=40 tons x2	80,000​	72,000​	40,000​	36,000​
Third Party Cargo: 70 tons x2	126,000​	126,000​	63,000​	63,000​
Total​	286,000​	270,000​	143,000​	135,000​

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2 Tickets = (J1/+290 tons external+100 tons collapsible fuel) (J2/+190 tons external) = 3 parsecs

Revenue	Paid Off or Bank Financed Non-charter (in Cr)​	Paid Off or Bank Financed Charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Non-charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Charter (in Cr)​
High Passengers: 4 x2	80,000​	72,000​	40,000​	36,000​
Owned Cargo: (4*10)=40 tons x2	80,000​	72,000​	40,000​	36,000​
Third Party Cargo: 170 tons x2	306,000​	306,000​	153,000​	153,000​
Total​	466,000​	450,000​	233,000​	225,000​

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2 Tickets = (J1/+690 tons external+100 tons collapsible fuel) (J1/+590 tons external = 2 parsecs

Revenue	Paid Off or Bank Financed Non-charter (in Cr)​	Paid Off or Bank Financed Charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Non-charter (in Cr)​	Subsidized Charter (in Cr)​
High Passengers: 4 x2	80,000​	72,000​	40,000​	36,000​
Owned Cargo: (4*10)=40 tons x2	80,000​	72,000​	40,000​	36,000​
Third Party Cargo: 570 tons x2	1,026,000​	1,026,000​	513,000​	513,000​
Total​	1,186,000​	1,170,000​	593,000​	585,000​

 

[Spinward Flow]

​

​

Long Night Clipper

Following the success of the Long Night Trader early in the expansion of the Sylean Federation (approximately -650 to -522), it became increasingly clear that while the Long Night Trader was quite adequate in the “near abroad” around Sylea, longer voyages in the direction of Vland would be better served by a new class of merchant clipper capable of long journeys into other sectors. In the meantime, however, Sylean scouts continued the methodical and dangerous work of exploration and surveys necessary to chart star systems and establish contacts that would make continued interstellar expansion possible (and profitable).

In -495 Sylean scouts were able to (finally) reach Vland and contemporary records from those years show that the encounter did not end well. It would take another 15 years before a J2 trade route between Sylea and Vland could be formally established in -480 (a grueling voyage of 32 jumps across 60 parsecs during the Long Night). However, once Sylean scouts had been able to chart a trade route across the wilds and successfully contacted Vland, the race was on to design and build a successor to the Long Night Trader that would be capable of making the long voyage at J3 in as few as 20 jumps (rather than the 32 needed at J2). The result of that effort came to be known as the Long Night Clipper built (initially, at least) exclusively by LSP shipyards.

Long Night Clipper (Type AT): Constructed using a stylishly sleek streamlined 310 ton aerodynamic hull better optimized for atmospheric maneuvering control authority, the starship class is fitted with TL=10 standard E/E/E drives, producing jump-3 and 3G acceleration with a power plant-3 performance profile with up to 23 tons of external loading (sufficient for the external docking of the ship’s Laser Fighter without a reduction in drive output). Internal fuel tankage is 129 tons, sufficient for 4 weeks of maneuver endurance and 3 parsecs of jump range before needing to refuel, with fuel scoops integrated into the leading edge wing roots of the airframe hull. An onboard fuel purification plant is used to purify unrefined fuel skimmed from gas giants or water oceans into refined fuel and distills out "waste elements" for use by the ship's life support systems. The ship's bridge features sophisticated touchscreen workstations with holographic trideo displays and a fly by light control system integrated through the adjacent model/3 computer.

An internal hangar bay has berths for two Stateroom Modules (providing both crew quarters and passenger accommodations), two Laboratory Modules containing the ship’s Environmental Control Type V-c regenerative life support systems with a designed capacity for 8 persons each (a critical prerequisite to interstellar operations during the Long Night when trade routes and supply lines were not yet firmly anchored) along with four Cargo Boxes. This containerized load capacity can be used to facilitate a remarkably wide variety of runabout service deployments within star systems. The hulls and drives of both the starship and associated small craft have been engineered to facilitate external docking with other craft for towing through both normal space by maneuver drive and/or by jump drive. While up to 690 tons of small craft and/or big craft are docked and being towed externally, including the Laser Fighter and other modules, the starship becomes unstreamlined. Towing external loads in excess of the Laser Fighter’s displacement necessarily reduces drive output performance until the external load can be undocked or jettisoned.

Costs and Revenues: Although relatively expensive to construct (and therefore finance through bank loans) in terms of up front capital expenditure, the Long Night Clipper actually has a markedly lower operational overhead cost than is typical of merchant ships in its displacement class, primarily due to the synergies of having a regenerative life support biome and onboard fuel purification plant. However, that hefty investment in construction costs is relatively easy to recoup, especially as a tramp merchant occasionally dealing in speculative goods. Being able to flexibly shift between small volume but high arbitrage value speculative cargoes over into high volume but low value per chartered ton external loading transport for third parties opens up a tremendous wealth of options in the generation of profits for the savvy (and/or wily) operator to take advantage of as the supply and demand of world markets (and governments) ebb and flow over time.

Although the Long Night Clipper has its origin as an LSP starship design and business model, in the millennia and a half since its debut during the Long Night a wide variety of shipyards not affiliated with LSP have put the class into volume production for clients and governments throughout imperial controlled space (and even beyond). In more modern times, the Long Night Clipper is still thought of by owners of the class as the “one of the best low tech backwater merchant ship that (some extra) money can buy” when compared with even older Vilani designs still in service such as the Type-R Fat Trader or the Type-A2 Far Trader, both of which fare better in more permissive and well patrolled trading environments.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Laser Fighter: The Long Night Clipper class is designed to be (and delivered from the shipyard as) an unarmed merchant starship, but with an organic laser armed fighter escort that is capable of operating as a sleekly maneuverable mobile screening defense against threats to commerce along the fringes of civilization. The Laser Fighter’s capability to intercept and engage/harass incoming hostile craft at range, forcing them into defensive evasive maneuvering, affords the Long Night Clipper parent ship the opportunity to break off by acceleration from unwanted encounters that the ship would otherwise be unable to escape from. Laser Fighters are armed with a single pulse laser and twin sandcasters rigidly mounted in the nose and boresighted to the fighter’s longitudinal axis, backed by the best compute power available (for the technology level) of a model/4 computer controlled from a small craft bridge with two workstations. Although designing a small craft fighter that combines a power hungry computer with a pulse laser is almost double the construction cost of a more modest computer and missiles combination, laser weaponry has the advantage of not being limited by magazine capacity (or the need to replenish expended stocks during extended engagements).

Laser Fighters have a single occupancy small craft stateroom aboard, which enables extended interplanetary voyages to be undertaken (when necessary). Their hulls are also engineered to dock with a remarkably wide variety of other craft and unpowered modules so as to tow them through space, or to perform “sky crane” logistics support duties at destinations with austere ground support (an unfortunately common condition during the Long Night). Laser Fighters are not capable of entering atmosphere (from space) while docked with another craft and thus rely on their parent Long Night Clipper starship’s internal hangar bays for atmospheric entry transfer maneuvers of sub-craft and modules. During surface to orbit transfers through atmosphere, the Laser Fighter will often times remain in orbit as an independent High Guard overwatch while loads are marshaled and logistics sorted. In locations that lack highport orbital or ground facilities, this kind of small craft service support can be almost invaluable.

Crew Manning: The Long Night Clipper relies on a ‘skilled crew" manpower model in which 6 personnel fill the 8 crew positions mandated by necessity and regulations. This requires crew who have above minimum skill levels in a few departments to allow a single crew member to fill two crew positions, reducing life support demands in exchange for increased salaries and compensation paid to individual crew members due to their increased workloads.

• Bridge Crew (2 persons): A starship pilot (pilot-1) and navigator (navigation-1) are both required by regulations for starships in this displacement class. Either the pilot or the navigator will typically also serve as the ship's captain. The starship bridge has one pilot station and one navigator station. (LBB2.81, p16)
• Small Craft Crew (1 person): A small craft pilot (ship's boat-1) is required to operate the Laser Fighter independently of the starship. (LBB2.81, p16) (LBB5.80, p34)
• Engineering Department (1 person): The two engineering positions are required to maintain the 63 combined tons of drives between starship and small craft. These two positions can be manned and maintained by a single engineer of sufficient skill (engineering-2) who can fill both positions. The starship bridge has one engineering station for the ship's engineer. (LBB2.81, p16)
• Service Department (1 person): The starship's Environmental Control Type V-c regenerative life support system requires a service crew, which typically is not needed on ships below 1000 tons displacement. Without any ship's troops, three service crew positions per 1000 tons is the standard requirement on larger vessels, so a smaller 310+20=330 ton ship requires a single service crew position. A single skilled steward (steward-1) who handles maintenance, food service and other crew support tasking, can also provide passenger support services for up to 8 high passengers. (LBB5.80, p33) (LBB2.81, p16)
• Medical Department (1 person): The starship's Environmental Control Type V-c regenerative life support system requires a skilled medical doctor (medical-3) in order to keep the closed loop cycle life support systems in balance and the crew (and passengers) dependent upon that life support healthy. Consequently, medical support aboard is usually higher than the bare minimum that most spacers are conditioned to expect (where even nurse level skills are considered a luxury), raising crew morale, loyalty and retention rates. (LBB2.81, p20-21) (LBB2.81, p16)

Peculiarities: By FAR, the most consistently peculiar thing about the Long Night Clipper is its Environmental Control Type V-c capacity for its 6 person crew and 4 high passengers. However, the improvement this feature makes to the onboard quality of life aboard these ships is such that recruiting seasoned crew is rarely (if ever) an issue. FRESH food meals prepared and served daily by the ship's skilled cook (steward), instead of heavily preserved rations, often makes for quite a difference in crew morale, loyalty and retention over the long term. This self(-ish) sufficiency factor also means that crews are not at the mercy of local market prices (and quality) when visiting worlds where life support consumables are an expensive commodity due to scarcity of resources and/or (in)adequate technology (a potential liability in some remote backwater systems). In standard practice, the two Laboratory Modules are usually set up for a single world type habitat but operating in different seasons, offering some measure of redundancy in the event of accident or mishap while also providing a wider variety of seasonal food selections for both crew and passengers.

While closed loop life support recycling efficiency of gases, liquids and solids is quite high, it is not and cannot ever be 100%. The replacement of losses in chemical reserves necessary for sustaining the regenerative biome life support systems are routinely obtained from the waste byproducts of wilderness fuel skimming getting filtered out by the onboard fuel purification plant, which is more integrated into the ship's life support reserve systems than is typical. Additionally, the life support systems of the Laser Fighter have also been designed to integrate relatively seamlessly with their parent Long Night Clipper and Laboratory Modules for waste purging and consumables reserve replenishment while hard docked, helping to keep the regenerative biome life cycles better balanced over the long duration between annual overhauls.

The habitat species of the regenerative life support biome can be changed during annual overhaul maintenance if desired, although this option is rarely exercised unless crews have allergic reactions to specific biomes beyond the skills of the medical doctor aboard to resolve adequately. Changing the regenerative life support biome to model a species habitat of a world other than that of where the construction and/or maintenance work is being done may incur additional time and cost surcharges, so owners will want to plan for and budget their operations accordingly if exercising this option.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Naming: While there are no officially recognized naming conventions for Long Night Clippers and their Laser Fighters, there is a bit of a tradition among crews to give their craft feminine names (in the old Solomani wet navy tradition of "all ships are female"). Curiously, this tradition seems to have a bias towards giving the starships “good girl” names, while the fighters tend to get “bad girl” names, although this isn’t always the case.

Variants: Owing to the sheer number of possible load outs with customized Mixed Cargo Boxes available, it is impossible to make an exhaustive list of all variants in service. The following is but a small sampling of the myriad options.

Search & Rescue (Type JT): All of the factors which make the Long Night Clipper an excellent jump and maneuver tug capable of towing up to 3x their own hull displacement externally also makes the class an almost ideal long endurance search & rescue platform, which can also bring in dead hulks for salvage if there are no survivors. All that is truly needed for such conversions is some customization of the Cargo Boxes aboard for deployment with the Laser Fighter to better support the mission with additional rescue crew and utility services, making these variants relatively economical in terms of refurbishment. Coordinating maneuvers with the Laser Fighter enables searches of large volumes of space to be conducted in relative safety, while also offering rapid acceleration responses to distress calls.

Safari Ship (Type KP): A few Long Night Clippers in private ownership have been converted into safari tour ships (both commercial and non-commercial). The most common means to achieve this conversion is to swap the Cargo Boxes out for a mix of Environment Tank(s) to contain animals and/or preserve vegetation for retrieval, Laboratory Module(s) for on-site sample survey analysis, Stateroom Modules for use as mobile base camp accommodations that can be deployed to terrestrial environments, Cargo Box(es) outfitted with vehicle berths for transportation, along with a wide variety of other expeditionary services that can be delivered to remote and austere locations for later retrieval. Some safari conversions in private hands even include allocating one (or more) of the Environment Tanks as a trophy room to be filled with an owner's most impressive prizes taken during their adventures and travels, where they can be put on display as a statement to be heeded by friends, rivals and enemies alike for the sake a pride and envy. A number of Long Night Clippers have also been donated or otherwise made available to various world universities and converted to Safari Ships for use in academic research sample return expeditions and long(er) term surveys. Due to the modularized nature of these ships and their inherent double jump capability, they have also been used for astronomical surveys, long duration exploration missions and other tasks prioritized by scout services (both officially and unofficially).

Troop Transport (Type TT): Some mercenary companies have been known to acquire additional Stateroom and Laboratory Modules (5 of each, docked externally) plus an additional Laser Fighter (also docked externally) allowing them to use the class as a light troop transport capable of mobilizing 3 squads of mechanized infantry, their vehicles and a useful load of consumables (provisions, medical supplies, ammunition, explosives, spares, etc.) necessary for sustained operations in theater. The twin Laser Fighters offer additional aerospace support for these troop deployments and are preferred for their “surgical strike” capacity rather than indiscriminate demolitions. Due to the increased external loading necessary for this configuration, the Long Night Clipper is reduced to a J2/2G performance profile, although with some logistics preparation it is possible to deploy via J1+2 to locations 3 parsecs away without requiring refueling while en route. Mercenary groups utilizing Long Night Clippers as troop transports have been known to represent themselves as civilian merchant ships (or even yachts) engaging in passenger services for third parties to enhance plausible deniability of their contracts, personnel and operations.

Commerce Raider (Type AR): While by no means an official variant, it is regrettably true that some ships fall into the hands of pirates and privateers. The most common ways for this to happen are through temptation and/or mutiny, but even financial fraud and other types of betrayal of trust can see ships wind up on the wrong side of the law (sometimes permanently). Unfortunately, all of the capabilities that make the Long Night Clipper a relatively hard target for pirates to threaten in direct ship to ship combat perversely make these them an exceptionally desirable corsair that is capable of transporting captured prize ships between star systems due to their large external load capacity. The inclusion of a Laser Fighter (a real prize for pirates!) and Cargo Boxes (which can be outfitted for all kinds of roles) gives the sly pirate operator a plethora of ways and means to employ guile and subterfuge to their own advantage against their chosen prey. Pirates who have connections and who can pay off all the right people are able to take boarded prizes to unscrupulous shipyards where those prizes can be gutted for salvage and scrap, effectively liquidating their prizes into funding for their operations (a practice which can be exceptionally difficult for authorities to trace).

 

[Spinward Flow]

In keeping with Traveller tradition, looks like a made a couple of typos that weren't corrected before publication.
Errors bolded in quotes for visibility.

---

An internal hangar bay has berths for two Stateroom Modules (providing both crew quarters and passenger accommodations), two Laboratory Modules containing the ship’s Environmental Control Type V-c regenerative life support systems with a designed capacity for 8 persons each (a critical prerequisite to interstellar operations during the Long Night when trade routes and supply lines were not yet firmly anchored) along with four Cargo Boxes.

Correction:
An internal hangar bay has berths for two Stateroom Modules (providing both crew quarters and passenger accommodations), two Laboratory Modules containing the ship’s Environmental Control Type V-c regenerative life support systems with a designed capacity for 5 persons each (a critical prerequisite to interstellar operations during the Long Night when trade routes and supply lines were not yet firmly anchored) along with four Cargo Boxes.

---

Search & Rescue (Type JT): All of the factors which make the Long Night Clipper an excellent jump and maneuver tug capable of towing up to 3x their own hull displacement externally also makes the class an almost ideal long endurance search & rescue platform, which can also bring in dead hulks for salvage if there are no survivors.

Correction:
Search & Rescue (Type JT): All of the factors which make the Long Night Clipper an excellent jump and maneuver tug capable of towing slightly over 2x their own hull displacement externally also makes the class an almost ideal long endurance search & rescue platform, which can also bring in dead hulks for salvage if there are no survivors.

---

So far, that's all the errata I've been able to find so far.

 

[Spinward Flow]

{ sigh }
A naval architect's work is never finished ... merely abandoned.

Now I'm starting to think about revisiting my original TL=10 H/H/H drive design (with the obligatory +1 Engineer) and noticing that in a 500 ton form factor, that yields 3/3/3 drive performance.

85 tons of (starship) drives + (150+30)=180 tons of fuel + 8 tons of fuel purification + 20 tons bridge + 6 tons model/3 = 296 tons

In a 500 ton form factor, that leaves 200 tons for hangar space and 2 tons for collapsible fuel tanks (200 ton capacity = lots of extra range) and requires a minimum crew of 7 for Environmental Control Type V-c (which in turn would require a minimum of 42 tons devoted to staterooms and laboratory displacement before adding passengers).

However, if I were to bump things up to Environmental Control Type V-d (which would require +1 Steward position as well), I'd have 8 crew.
3x Stateroom Modules (20 tons) = 60 tons
3x Laboratory Modules (20 tons) = 60 tons
That would provide accommodations for 7 high passengers in addition to the 8 crew.

Add in a Laser Fighter (20 tons) internal berth and 6x 10 ton cargo modules and you've got 200 tons of hangar space occupied.
60+60+20+(6*10) = 200 tons



The thing is, those H/H/H drives are rated code: 1 @ 1600 tons ... and 1600 - 500 = 1100 tons ... which is a "perfect fit" for being able to externally tow a 1000 ton big craft (since 1000 * 1.1 = 1100) @ J1/1G.

Additionally, if the contents of the 200 ton internal hangar bay are docked externally, the H/H/H drive performance drops from 3/3/3 down to 2/2/2, but J2 only requires 140 tons of fuel for a 700 ton form factor (because 500+200=700). However, you could potentially do this:
500+200 tons external = 700 + 200 tons collapsible fuel = J2 costing 148 tons (combined) jump and power plant fuel
500+60 tons external = 560 + 60 tons collapsible fuel = J1 costing 64 tons (combined) jump and power plant fuel
500+0 tons external = 500 + 0 tons collapsible fuel = J3 costing 158 tons (combined) jump and power plant fuel

(180 tons internal fuel + 200 tons collapsible fuel) > (148 + 64 + 158 = 370 tons fuel consumed)

So a 500 ton starship could perform a J2+1+3=6 parsec transit across a rift (if necessary) while transporting up to 7 high passengers and 6*10=60 tons of cargo (for a cost of 3 tickets).



That's ... a somewhat compelling combination of design options for a TL=10 starship capable of offering something of a "luxury yacht" type of experience. Although, to be fair, a "true" luxury yacht/safari ship experience would swap out 40 tons of cargo modules for another 20 ton stateroom and 20 ton laboratory module so as to add a squad of ship's troops for security, with the troop commander getting a single occupancy stateroom and the remaining 8 needing to double occupy the remaining 4 staterooms. Such an arrangement would permit either a 3 shift (3 on duty) or a 4 shift (2 on duty) security rotation per 24 hours, and would provide enough troops to outnumber the potential quantity of high passengers aboard in the (unlikely) event of a hijacking attempt.



Yes, certainly some interesting options that ought to be explored ... even if I am blowing past the 400 ton main hull displacement limit (so construction time increases from 64 to 96 weeks in single production) and everything gets (a lot) more expensive to build.

 

[Spinward Flow]

In keeping with Traveller tradition, looks like a made a couple of typos that weren't corrected before publication.

Found quite a few more typos and minor trivial errors here and there, which irk me personally but aren't enough to invalidate the overall core of the design. So there's a bit more errata than I would have liked, but it's nothing that can't be worked around.



However, I am currently doing a "next phase" evolution of this design that makes a few changes to the loadout of modules.

• Upgrade from Environmental Control Type V-c to Environmental Control Type V-d for an even higher standard of living for both passengers and crew
• Increase required crew skills for Steward from 1 to 2 and for Medic from 3 to 4 (to better support the life support upgrade)
• Reduce Cargo Boxes from 40 tons capacity to 20 tons capacity

The impact on economic viability is pretty minimal (a mere 20 tons of cargo revenues) and I'm thinking of "standardizing" around a 20 ton module building block baseline, instead of the previous 16 ton or 10 ton baseline used in previous designs. The upgrade in life support standard is pushing the overall design more in the direction of being a Type-YP (Yacht, Provincial) rather than in the more clearly mercantile Type-AT (Merchant-A, Transport) orientation, since the upgraded life support is more of a luxury expense/investment ... but there's no reason that the YP modifications couldn't be utilized "as is" for a purely tramp merchant operation.

Capital investment costs for the YP version are still high per copy for the complete kit (Cr240,866,000 in single production / Cr194,308,800 in volume production), but operating overhead expenses a surprisingly low (crew salaries, berthing fees, annual maintenance) when using wilderness refueling (and purification) before including the need to recoup construction costs (private purchase) or bank loans. Subsidized ships do not require operators to recoup the costs of construction, so the lack of life support overhead costs makes these YP versions able to cover operating overhead expenses (and make a profit) with as little as 4 high passengers and 20 tons of cargo to transport. This makes these ships an excellent option for visiting low end markets and sparsely populated worlds when subsidized, where being able to fill a manifest of 4 passengers and 20 tons of cargo for shipment will be a relatively reliable outcome.



So although the construction cost is "kind of ridiculous" compared to that of a Free Trader (5.24x), Far Trader (2.94x) or even Fat Trader (1.71x) and is almost as expensive in capital outlay as a Subsidized Liner (0.82x) ... once put into operation the ship class is actually remarkably profitable under a variety of circumstances and conditions. However, once those construction costs are paid off (either through subsidies, cold hard cash up front or the payment of bank loans over 40 years) ... it's all gravy due to the low operating costs.

Although, of course, it is always possible for operators and crews to fall into debt that they will struggle to repay/repair, so the class is no panacea against Bad Luck™ ... but if you want a ship class that can avert a financial death spiral, this would definitely be the one for the small time operator/free trader who want to live the lifestyle of being a tramp.

Even something as simple as installing a Mail Vault (in a Cargo Box) for the transport of X-Mail between planetary Postal Unions can generate revenue for a substantial portion of a ship's operating overhead expenses, enabling the ship class to visit even the most sparsely populated destinations and still turn a (small) profit on the voyage. This would then become something of a Type-XP (Express, Provincial) variant capable of extending communication, diplomatic and economic ties between outposts of civilization along the fringes and frontiers of explored territories, providing a kind of "lifeblood" service from more developed worlds to the hinterland backwater worlds in the vicinity.



So yet another version of this build to look forward to (in a new post) with some tweaks, updates and errata corrections.

 

[Spinward Flow]

CM = Construction Multiplier (x0 Subsidized, x1 Paid Off, x2.4 Bank Loan Financing, over 480 months)

Well.
I guess this is what I get for not being sufficiently rigorous in double checking my own work.



If a bank loan requires repayments in increments of 1/240th the purchase price over 480 months = 40 years ... (LBB2.81, p23)
1 / 240 * 12 * 40 = 2

So the CM (Construction Multiplier) for the Break Even Formula should be as follows (correction in bold for emphasis):
CM = Construction Multiplier (x0 Subsidized, x1 Paid Off or x2 Bank Loan Financing over 480 months)

x2 ... not x2.4 ...



At least that ought to make it easier for the bank loan financed ships to break even/make a profit (by not having the wrong multiplier in the formula). This "errata in economics" will be included in all of my future starship design posts going forwards.

Kind of interesting how a 40 year bank loan basically winds up with the buyer "paying the bank" for the price of TWO ships, rather than just the ONE that they're buying. It's a x1 for construction cost plus x1 for interest (basically) for a total of x2 construction price over 40 years, because the buyer didn't have the funding "up front" at the time of initial purchase and required bank financing.

 

[Condottiere]

I can design a starship around fifteen megastarbux.

There may be other circumstances and reasons why no one else does.

 

[Spinward Flow]

CAN be done and SHOULD be done are different questions.

Yes, you can build starships ON THE CHEAP capable of fulfilling their role(s) ... but you're also going to get what you paid for. A starship that is ~MCr15 in construction cost is unlikely to be capable of much in the way of performance, making it "easy prey" for more capable (and therefore, more expensive) designs and ship classes.

Any time you skimp on performance for your own ship, you're implicitly depending on system defense to pick up the slack for you, in effect outsourcing the responsibility to protect yourself to local authorities. Which is FINE in well settled, well patrolled and defended star systems that have been settled for a long time and are capable of supporting such naval policing services. The problem is when venturing "beyond the reach" of those constabulary protections of system defense ... where you need to protect yourself from opportunistic piracy.

 

[Condottiere]

A lot depends on scaling and purpose.

At the lower end, the big ticket items are engineering, hull and electronics.

 

[Spinward Flow]

I am currently doing a "next phase" evolution of this design that makes a few changes to the loadout of modules.

• Upgrade from Environmental Control Type V-c to Environmental Control Type V-d for an even higher standard of living for both passengers and crew
• Increase required crew skills for Steward from 1 to 2 and for Medic from 3 to 4 (to better support the life support upgrade)
• Reduce Cargo Boxes from 40 tons capacity to 20 tons capacity

Yet more unexpected results.

---

So I had originally been contemplating building on a basis of ...

• (20+20) for 10 staterooms
• (20+20) for Environmental Control Type V-d with capacity for 10 people (6 crew, 4 high passengers)
• (10+10) for 20 tons of cargo

... fits into a 100 ton hangar bay ... and then building a 310 ton starship around that with a 20 ton laser armed fighter docked externally for a 310+20=330 ton combined displacement yielding J3/3G baseline performance.

---

But then I started trying out variations of module form factors and started messing around with putting the regenerative life support lab IN the stateroom module (instead of putting the lab into a completely separate module) and some interesting things happened.

1. 10 tons works for a major cargo box.
2. 12 tons works as a box for 3 staterooms (12 tons).
3. 16 tons works for a major+minor+incidental cargo box, but also as a box for 4 staterooms (also 16 tons).
4. 20 tons works for 2x major cargo box, but also as a box for 5 staterooms (also 20 tons).
5. 24 tons works as a 6 stateroom box ... or as a 4 staterooms plus Environmental Control Type V-c laboratory for 4 people ... or as a 3 staterooms plus Environmental Control Type V-d laboratory for 3 people.

And it was right about then that I realized that the 24 ton form factor for an integrated stateroom+laboratory box made for the most flexible option, because ... 6+0 or 0+12 (V-c) or 0+6 (V-d), 4+4 (V-c) or 3+3 (V-d) ... which is the greatest number of potential permutations available within the same displacement.

So if using a 24 ton stateroom box, there is a "plug and play" factor involved with having 3 such modules ... and 3*24=72 tons.

• With Environmental Control Type V-c integrated into each module (making each module self contained), that gives a capacity for 12 people (6 crew, 6 passengers).
• With Environmental Control Type V-d integrated into each module (making each module self contained), that gives a capacity for 8 people (6 crew, 3 passengers).

But a 100 ton hangar bay with 72 tons allocated to stateroom modules, only has 28 tons of remaining capacity available ... which makes a poor fit for Cargo Boxes (of any useful form factor).



It was around this point that I realized that if I increased the starship hull size to 313 tons (+20 tons for the externally docked Laser Fighter for a total of 333 tons to jump and maneuver with @ J3/3G) I'd have to increase fuel tankage by another 0.9 tons (because 30% of 310 is 93 tons, while 30% of 313 is 93.3 tons) leaving an extra 2.1 tons available for other purposes.
(3*24) + (3*10) = 102 tons

So the new balance point @ 313 tons of starship + 20 ton Laser Fighter (external docking) yields a 102 ton hangar bay that can carry 6 crew and 3 high passengers with Environmental Control Type V-d integrated into the stateroom boxes, plus an additional 30 tons of cargo.



In the context of wanting/needing to service LOW population markets (Pop: 4-) and still have a decent opportunity to fill a shipping manifest, less capacity for high/mid passengers is a better option than having more capacity than can be filled in more backwater locations with drastically limited demand for passengers. Conversely, filling 30 tons of cargo capacity is almost as easy as 20 tons of cargo capacity, while at the same time being more flexible at generating windfall profits from arbitrage on speculative cargoes. Since the REAL profit potential (from a spreadsheet perspective) lies in speculative cargo arbitrage, having more cargo capacity to transport such cargoes is more advantageous ... up to a point, because beyond a certain point you start risking unused capacity when servicing those same LOW population markets (Pop: 4-).

The fun thing is that all indications from my research in this area points towards having an operational overhead cost between Cr25,000-30,000 per jump @ J3 in subsidized business models ... which amounts to shipping manifests that generate Cr50,000-60,000 of raw revenue before the 50% revenue rake for the subsidy. What this means is that a full manifest of 3 high passengers and 30 tons of (3rd party) freight is enough to make a (slight) profit for a subsidized operator on a single ticket J3 route while making 24 jumps per year, which then leaves open the opportunity to seek out small volume speculative cargo opportunities whenever and wherever they might be found. Then if you add on external loading (so J1/J2 drive performance) when visiting markets with higher quantities of freight to move, those opportunities can become something of a windfall (relative to the J3 manifest capacity).



Add 3 tons to the starship so as to add 2 tons to the hangar bay in order to get an even higher quality of life potential aboard?
Yes please ...

 

[Spinward Flow]

Addendum to the above notion (moving from 100 tons to 102 tons of internal hangar bay) ... it enables moving the starship's operations into a passenger service (main) option, with 4x 24 = 96 tons of stateroom boxes plus a 6 ton Speeder grav vehicle fits into a 102 ton hangar bay. With Environmental Control Type V-c accommodations, that gives you 16 staterooms (6 crew, 8 high passengers, 2 middle passengers) ... or with Environmental Control Type V-d accommodations you have 12 staterooms (6 crew, 6 high passengers). The Speeder grav vehicle can be used for rapid transit between surface and orbit (1 hour to orbit), effectively putting any location around a world within range (via suborbital) in ~2 hours. The Speeder thus enables pickup and delivery of passengers to locations other than a starport/spaceport when desirable.

 

[Spinward Flow]

This starship design is being retconned out of existence and "de-canonized" (for whatever that's worth) by the author (me), in favor of a superior design that I will be posting ... Soon™.